Happy 2 Year Anniversary...

On December 1o, 2008 I celebrated my 2 year anniversary with Improv Open Mic Night. Time flies when you are making things up. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate along with me; except the guy who wrote in Lines From a Hat "Happy 2 Year Anniversary Allyson...I want a divorce. Love Open Mic Night". So I started off the show with a couple of hits from the past shows; including a new excerpt from my first boyfriends love letters accompanied by a slide show of his drawings and also his flame pants (yep I had awful taste). After that, I let Ian's Bar Mitzvah video shine one last time to get in the mood for laughing. It was a packed house and I was thrilled to see that Loser Josh (who was there on the first open mic night) came back again. Two other troupes entered to perform; Guns-N-Roses and Zach, Ellie and a bunch of other D-bags. We played some old games including Allyson Says and tried a couple of new games which actually worked out well; Human Props and Time Machine. I did my best to get everyone on stage...we had about 45 people interested in performing. After 2 years I realized it can be complicated when you are hosting and producing a show at the same time. The night was fun; the place was packed and I'm glad I can continue to offer this outlet for the Improv community. So no divorce for you Open Mic Night...see you in January!
Next show: Friday, January 23 2009 in The Comedy Lounge. Sign-up from 7-7:30 pm and the show will begin at 8:05 pm.

Good Directions and Good Ol' Improv...

Yes I know I am week behind updating this blog since the Improv Open Mic Night was on 11/6 but I had to sort out my feelings. Well, not really...I was just being lazy. Anyhoo, last week was another round of fun featuring local improvisers from The DC Improv Comedy School and apparently Dublin (a tourist in town for a couple of days decided to participate in the last game). I started the show off with a video shot by comedian Chris White (www.chriswhitesucks.com) where I play a large role. I admittedly said I was lazy and couldn't come up with a better opener, but it got the job done and the group had a few laughs. I then forgot to put on the stage lights and had the microphone cord fall out...I feared a rough night and was out of it. Once we got into the swing of things, there were no more technical issues and the crowd of about 35 seemed to have fun. In brief, we played a couple of rounds of my own game "Allyson Says.." and I have to say I highly enjoy that. I then decided to try something new and since it was right around the time of the election I decided to try out a debate style game. I had 2 Improv actors (Joe S. since it was his birthday was one and Chris U) and then I asked the audience for a suggestion to be debated. The topic was "is Britney Spears a real blonde". I designated Joe pro her being blonde and Chris was anti-blonde. They had opening statements followed by questions from the Town Hall and then closing arguments. It was entertaining... I think. We had 2 groups enter to showcase their stuff, Guns and Roses and Charred Goosebeak (newcomers to the Open Mic Scene), both did a great job. We then played a few more shortform games in which I have played out the joke of Bolliwood to much and am laying it to rest now (Sorry Jay & Saumya). Of course we ended with the signature game, Lines from A Hat and I encouraged everyone to take part as I always do. Best line of the night in there by far was , "Jaykumar goes to White Castle". Mark your calendars for the 2 year anniversary show on Wednesday Dec, 10 2008. Sign-up is from 7-7:30 pm Showtime is at 8 pm.
Hope to see you there!!

Allyson says...what a sex tape!

It's very rare that I walk away actually thinking the evening was a total success but I can honestly say it was a blast from start to finish. To start off the show, I spoke about what's it's like to be in the public eye and how some private matters end up public. I followed this dramatic speech with a short video which showcased me and my boyfriend in our version of a sex tape. I'll be adding this to youtube soon...it was freaking hilarious, sorry Mom and Dad. Now on to the Open Mic part, the room was packed with people standing along the wall in the back. People even travelled from Baltimore for this event. There were a lot of "return customers" along with some new faces. I feel like most people tend to show up a few minutes before showtime though. I think it's because people get a kick out of me trying to organize a show in 10 minutes and know that I am a sucker and will let them on stage even though they are late. Well, it's probably more like they have jobs and a life but I am going to go with it being about me. I asked the audience if they were up for something new and thankfully they were. Basically I created my own Improv Game and I wanted to test the waters last night. I knew, it could either be a complete disaster or a success. The game is called "Allyson Says" and it is self explanatory. I called up 10 performers and asked them to form 2 lines. Then I started a 2 person scene and would randomly freeze it changing the scene in any direction I felt like (endow emotions, animal characteristics, gibberish, alphabet game, film styles, etc.). It actually worked!! What I liked the best about this was that I was able to get everyone stage time which has been my biggest concern. I want single improv-ers to have an outlet and a venue to perform and I think this is the way to do it while keeping the audience entertained and moving the show forward. We played 3 rounds of this game during the evening. Since I have never formally trained in Improv I'm sure there are some kinks I need to work out but overall it worked and I'm thrilled about it. I also had 7 groups enter to perform: Loser Josh, Heavy Wet Sectional (b'more troupe), I Miss Blue Ray (debut), Ozymandis, Tara's Kids, plus 2 one man skits by Giovanni and Matthew's mother talks all things politics & indigestion. As always I invited newbies to come up and give improv a shot and we had a couple of girls who decided to get on stage. Kudos for that ladies. We ended the evening with good ol' Lines From A Hat. I'm travelling in October so the next Improv Open Mic Night is slated for Thursday November 6. Sign-up is from 7-7:30 pm Show will begin at 8:05 pm
Thanks for the continued support of this event. I can't believe it's almost 2 years running....
See you in November!!

My Mad Lib Bad and Oh My Jew!

So, last week I hosted another round of Improv Open Mic Night. Sorry for the delay in writing about it but I am still recovering from my Mad Lib Bad and the weird evening where apparently the Jewish culture was thrown under the bus...A LOT. Lets start off at the beginning of the evening, a few months ago I decided to start off the show with a group Mad Lib telling the story of my failed marriage. I thought for the August Show I would attempt to write another one. This one told the story of how I witnessed a man whacking off in public. It was not the best start, but there were a few laughs gotten and I think we set the tone for audience interaction for the evening. Now on to the night's festivities. We started off with attendance on the light side but managed to get about 35-40 people by showtime. I had several groups enter to strut their improv stuff: Matthew's Mother Reads a Bedtime Story, Powder Keg, AC & Fingerpaint, and MC Bundction. For the short form portion of the night I brought back deleted scenes from TV and Movies. We got lessons on what Bali Wood really is (thanks to Saumya and Jay) and also a lesson on The Golden Girls. You had to be there to really appreciate that one though. I learned that I may be the only person who knows what the television show "From G's To Gents" is. The biggest lesson I learned is how stereotypes can get slightly uncomfortable if done for too long. I don't know where I lost control but for some reason a major theme of the evening were "Jews" and our big noses, money and yarmulkes. Let me just say that as a Jew (who is not religious or practicing at all) I felt a bit awkward that night. So I apologize for those in the audience who may have felt weird too...the thing about Improv is commitment and being in the moment so as artists the performers that evening did a great job and showcased the lessons in Improv Comedy...to bad it was at the price of the Jews. Anyway, I ended on a high note once again with a marathon of Lines From A Hat. One line was "I love Allyson"...I still wonder who wrote that. Was it Fingerpaint or AC?
The next one is on the books and scheduled for Thursday September 11 at 8:00 pm in The Comedy Lounge. Sign-up is from 7-7:30 pm. I hope to see you there!
Try my Mad Libs here: www.dcimprov.com/madlibs/mad_lib_2.pdf

Dear Improv...

Last night was another round of Improvisational Open Mic Night. There was alot of competition around town performance wise and I was nervous as to what our attendance would be. Around 7:40 pm we had about 22 people (I counted) and by showtime (I started 15 minutes late) we were almost packed (about 50 people in attendance overall I would say). When I first started the show there were no group entries (except for Gio doing his one man Improv Act) and since I am a sucker; mid show two groups entered to perform and with the audience approval we let them on. Loser Josh (who came in late after their show at Fringe Fest) and a new duo AC & Fingerpaint (Katie & Chris performed an impromptu date) each got 6 minutes to showcase their stuff. I started the show off with something personal as usual. Last night I read a letter I wrote my parents from sleep away camp in 1988 when I was 10 years old. Long story short, it was hot, my bed was moved to a new spot, I had a rash and I really wanted crystal light lemonade mix. It was not the best opener but hey, how many more embarrassing things from my past can I bring to light? At least we all had some laughs. The show began with short form improv comedy antics and me busting in with my signature one liners. I tried to call back as much as possible to my camp letter and sadly that bit me in the ass as several scenes about my small boobs or lack there of came into play last night. That's okay, I am fully aware and comfortable with them now at age 30. We even had some out of towners come in and play games. Special props go out to Seattle and San Diego for representing Improv last night. Of course we ended with the lightning round of "Lines From A Hat" and I encouraged everyone to get up and play (especially people who have never done improv before). They listened to me and I was thrilled that new people gave improv comedy a shot. The open mic is really a welcoming place and I want people to feel comfortable and safe. I think being in a basement helps with the safety part too. Anyway, we have another one on slated on the books for Thursday August 14 in The Comedy Lounge.
Sign-up is from 7-7:30 pm
Show will begin at 8:05 pm
See you in August!

It's a Mitzvah!

As most of you know I always like to start off these shows with something personal and preferably from my youth, so last night I opened with a 5 minute edited video showcasing scenes of me at my own Bat Mitzvah back in June 1991. I intend to put this up on youtube at some point for those of you who missed it...it was hilarious. We had a HUGE turnout last night even though tornado watches and thunderstorms loomed over us. There was standing room only and close to 70 people in attendance. We also celebrated 3 birthdays last night (Min, Tommy, Bart)...thank you guys for choosing Improv Open Mic to celebrate your parents having sex, I appreciate it. So that being said the troupes that performed were, 5-6-7-8, Loser Josh, 7:30 Bitches, Fortunes Fools, Vacuum Shark, Zach Paul and some other D-Bags. Each received 8 minutes of performance time. I had a ton of people signed up to play short form games...so much that I couldn't give everyone stage time. (I'm Sorry!!) I really like to get everyone stage time, especially as single improvisers. But like I said last night, it is a free show so you can't get too mad at me. I also realized that I need to make some changes for the July event. I noticed that last night there were several repeat performers in groups. For July if you plan on coming please keep your signing up to only one group so I can accommodate everyone and offer them all a chance to perform. The show ran a little over 2 hours and of course ended with my signature ending, "Lines From A Hat". To all who were there last night, I admire your enthusiasm with Improv and appreciate your attendance and I look forward to hosting this event again (I'm running out of embarrassing moments though). The next round is slated for Thursday July 10th, 2008. Sign-up from 7-7:30 pm. Show begins promptly at 8:05 pm.

Yo Joe...

Last night was another DC Improvisational Open Mic Night and we had about 40 people in the crowd. CURSE YOU SPRINGTIME!! Nice weather seemed to trump free comedy but the hardcore improvisers were out in full force. As always I hosted the evening and as usual I needed to do something different. This time I decided to air some old 80's commercials followed by a genuine PSA from the cartoon GI JOE that talked about teamwork. It was nostalgic for some and for others it was unnecessary but for me it was hilarious (and isn't that what really matters?). After the "film" I decided to read an old letter I received back from when I was 10 years old demonstrating that I started in entertainment at a young age. That note was written by the one and only Patrick Swayze when I joined his fan club (in my father's name mind you). Not that funny but hey it was a start to a show. We then went straight into Short Form Improv Games. Throughout the show I tried 2 new games including EVIL TWINS - which was great and TIME MACHINE - which if I could go back in time I probably wouldn't do again. We had 6 Troupes enter for stage time: SPARK PLUG BULLSHIT, BOCCIE, 5-6-7-8, LOSER JOSH, SWEET ACTION and a one man improv story featuring GIOVANNI. We got lessons in how to do a proper Asian Accent and learned that during Yum Kippur we eat small horses. Of course we ended the evening with my signature game "LINES FROM A HAT". The audience seemed to have fun as did I. My goal is to have a kick ass opener for the next show...I promise to embarrass myself more for your entertainment.
Next round of Improv Open Mic Night is slated for Wednesday June 4th, 2008
Sign-up from 7-7:30 p.m.
Showtime is slated at 8:05 p.m.
See you then!

This is Improv not Stand-Up...

Yeah, I am aware of that but I decided to open the show last night with some of my old jokes and one new one. I am running out of embarrassing things to share and warm up the crowd with so I figured I'd do some material. The core routine got some laughs but the new joke about water bottles bombed. I guess I should have actually written a joke out before attempting to tell it. Notice taken.

Once again it was a packed house with standing room only. I am thrilled to see that there is so much interest in this forum and really appreciate you guys coming out. That being said I had 7 groups sign up. Satan Sour Sauce, Dopplegangers, Insyndication, 5-6-7-8, The Meddling Kids, Scissors and a one man show featuring Giovanni D and his mail.

I did my best at trying to get stage time for everyone who signed up as a single improviser and I will admit I was pretty bad regarding explaining the game of Two Pillars. (Maybe I should take a class?) Other than that, we tried a new game Addicts Anonymous (which was eh) and we ended with good ol' lines from a hat. I realized that you people are sick and twisted with some of the things that end up in the bucket, but at least they are funny.

Next one has been scheduled for Thursday April 24th, 2008 so mark your calendars for that.
Sign-Up is 7-7:30 p.m.
Show will begin promptly at 8:05 p.m.

Also I am throwing at party. Here are the vitals for it.
What time is it? PARTY TIME!! I’m calling this one “DC IMPROV COMEDY SCHOOL SPRING FLING” because I am a dork. Feel free to spread the word to all your friends & loved ones and people you are trying to get with. This is an open invitation.
DATE: Saturday, March 29th, 2008 TIME: 9 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION WHEN YOU MENTION THE DC IMPROV COMEDY SCHOOL!
LOCATION: PANACHE - 1725 DeSales Street (a block away from The Improv)
http://www.panacherestaurant.com/ or 202.293.7760
DRESS: It’s a Spring Fling you can come dressed up if you want too but it is not mandatory. Just an excuse to play dress up for those of us who own one nice outfit and never get to wear it out.
DETAILS: From 9 p.m. – 10 p.m. part of the bar will be solely for The DC Improv Comedy School.
COMEDY SCHOOL DRINK SPECIALS
$4 Miller & Bud Light
$5 Imports
$6 Rail Drinks
$5 Kamikizee & so co lime shots
“The DJ starts around 10 o’clock. Music includes rock some acid jazz, up tempo blues, until about 10pm. At 10 p.m. its old school 80’s & 90’s hip hop & rock. Then once 11pm hits we are hitting full force with everything.” I did not write that…I copied and pasted it so keep the mocking too a minimum.

Everybody Improv Now...

Wednesday, February 20th 2008 I hosted another DC Improvisational Open Mic night in The Comedy Lounge. Even with with the weather not cooperating being cold and snowy, we still had a packed house. When I host the show, I like to start off with something personal for the audience so this round I decided to show a video to warm up the crowd. The video was a poorly produced music video shot at Ian's Bar Mitzvah back in June 1991 and featured some incredible dance moves by yours truly to the popular C & C Music Factory Song, "Everybody Dance Now". My moves included the electric slide, the running man and my famous running man into a jazz split. Good times and lots of laughs had by all. I also sadly look basically the same as I did when I was 12.

Now on to the show. I had 8 groupes sign up to perform, 5-6-7-8, Kibbles & Bitch, and some others that I have written down at the club and will add in later on. I was able to intersperse some short form Improv games for my single improv-ers in between the group performances and had some pretty good one liners throughout the night. Ian's Bar Mitzvah was a common theme whether I wanted it to be or not and we ended the event with the popular game lines from a hat...my signature ending.

The next round of fun is slated for Wednesday March 19th, 2008 in The DC Improv Comedy Lounge. Sign-up is from 7-7:30 p.m. Showtime is at 8:00 p.m. and the event is FREE!
See you there...
I just did a split.

TV Taping at The DC Improv

TV Taping at The DC Improv
PRESS RELEASE: FOOD NETWORKS "DINNER IMPOSSIBLE" FILMED AT THE DC IMPROV COMEDY CLUBDATE OF TAPING: Thursday, February 7th 2008
Last night The DC Improv Comedy Club and our own homegrown Improv Comedy Troupe were featured in an upcoming episode of The Food Network's popular show, "DINNER IMPOSSIBLE". Chef Robert Irvine cooked for 225 of our audience members. His mission was to complete a 4 course meal in just 6 hours. Starting this mission at 1:30 p.m. , chef Robert Irvine was told he had to use 15 random ingredients chosen by the 15 members of our comedy troupe. In addition, he was also allowed to go shopping and purchase 15 other ingredients for a total of 30 that had to be used in the meal. Some of the ingredients provided by the DC Improv Comedy School Cast included, Bratwurst, Bagoong, Ketchup, Kiwi, Pomegranate and Hot Pockets. Dinner needed to be completed and promptly served at 7:30 p.m. The mission was 100% a surprise to Chef Robert Irvine and also to our audience members. It was a fun night had by all; you never know who or what is going to happen at The DC Improv.The episode is slated to air sometime in April, 2008.
www.dcimprov.com

Am I a Mad Lib Maniac?

Good question. So last night January 10th, 2008 was the first DC Improvisational Open Mic Night of 2008 and I was thrilled to see tons of new faces and a packed house. We had standing room only (there must of been about 70 people in the room). I decided to open the show with a group mad lib. If you had a crappy childhood and don't know what mad libs are, I will briefly explain. Mad Libs consist of a fun story that is partially created by audience suggestions. So I asked the audience for several ideas (nouns, adverbs, adjectives, famous people) to plug into the story. Once all the blanks were filled I announced that I would read a story about my marriage ending a year ago and that this story was exactly how things went down. It worked like a charm and the audience was warmed up. Apparently I am currently dating Abraham Lincoln.

Now on to the Open Mic part. I had 6 Troupes enter to perform. They were: LOSER JOSH,
5-6-7-8, The Papers, The Quest, The Flying Kopecnees and a one man improvised story courtesy of Giovanni. Everyone did a great job and each troupe had 8 minutes to strut their stuff. The troupes showcased both long form and short form improv. In between the group performances we played short form games consisting of me pulling out single improvisers who signed up to play and they were placed randomly together on stage. I also launched a new thing for the Open Mic called Scenes Cut From a Movie where I had about 10 people on stage and a list of movies to call off. After I mentioned a movie the "actors" on stage would act out scenes that didn't make the final edited film. I think this was fun but then again the movies I picked were really for my own amusement. I am hoping the audience enjoyed this portion too.

Of course we ended the 2 hour show with a lightening round of "Lines From A Hat".

It was a great way to start off 2008 and I'm looking forward to more fun this year.

Mark your calendar for the next round of DC Improvisational Open Mic Night on
Wednesday February 20th, 2008
Sign-up is from 7-7:30 p.m.
Show starts around 8:00 p.m.

Thanks for the support!

Giggles and Improv...